Electron microscopes are used in semiconductor manufacturing operations to enable engineers to view the semiconductor wafers that are populated by features which are too small to visualize. Usually a sample of a disk shaped wafer is formed and an edge of that wafer or other pertinent portion is viewed under the electron microscope. The electron microscope magnifies the features of the sample and allows its configuration to be studied. Scanning electron microscopes are commonly utilized to determine whether features which are formed in the semiconductor wafer correspond to what was designed, intended or most desirable.
Traditionally, the samples are secured to an adjustably positionable base in the electron microscope. The base may be connected to a sample holder which actually retains the semiconductor wafer samples. These samples are secured to an upstanding member on the sample holder using copper tape and curable adhesive. Commonly, the curable adhesive must be allowed to dry for several hours before the sample can be studied in the electron microscope. Thus, existing techniques require considerable effort to secure the sample for viewing. Perhaps more importantly, the procedure takes an excessive amount of time, thereby delaying the feedback to the design engineers.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a technique for readily securing the wafer samples in the hostile environment inside an electron microscope.